Ahead of the second leg of the semi-final fixture between Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, the fans and the Spanish press are looking at the Royal club as the total favorite. After all, they won the Champions League 14 times, most of their first 11 won at least one European trophy, they had a good result in the first game (2-2) and they played at home. Bayern are underdogs ahead of Wednesday’s game, with Real having lost only one game all season. However, only the most meticulous will pull out a fantastic statistic, which shows that the Bavarians have a ‘secret weapon’ – Thomas Tuchel.Thomas Tuchel’s record away to Real Madrid (1W, 3D, 0L) • Real Madrid 2-2 Dortmund (16/17)• Real Madrid 2-2 PSG (19/20)• Real Madrid 1-1 Chelsea (20/21)• Real Madrid 2-3 Chelsea (21/22) pic.twitter.com/cMZhRWnpMQ— Bayern & Germany (@iMiaSanMia) May 8, 2024 The German coach went to eleven semi-finals with all the teams he led – and he was never eliminated. The semi-final king always advanced to the final of the competition! What Real still must tremble about is that Tuchel is the last coach to win the Champions League at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu! In April 2022, his Chelsea won the quarter-final second leg 3:2 (the Londoners were thrown out of Europe because of the 1:3 in the first leg). But surprisingly, Tuchel thinks otherwise. He pulled out Harry Kane from the ‘hat’ and made him the crucial man for the Bavarians tonight. When asked if there was something which surprised him about Kane, Tuchel was ready.“Yes, how many cappuccinos he drinks during the day. I have been very surprised. Every time I go in to the kitchen he is there. I have started doing it myself now. Look at him, he looks healthy and in good shape. I knew we were getting a big personality in to the dressing room on top of a goalscorer and an example of how to deal with pressure. He is the captain of England and he has brought us everything we could have hoped for. Tomorrow he needs to prove the point and deliver” said Tuchel.Thomas Tuchel taking time for the fans ahead of the departure to the airport [🎥 @vcatalina96] pic.twitter.com/wPhhbGL42L— Bayern & Germany (@iMiaSanMia) May 7, 2024 The German not only handed the ‘pressure baton’ to the English striker, but he also made sure that his team is not an outsider by any means. In fact, he thinks that Real has 51% of winning. Not a bad percentage for Bayern.“It’s one of the most difficult stadiums to win, but it’s not impossible. Because of the home advantage, the starting position is perhaps 51 percent with Real Madrid. We are also a very traditional, successful and dominant club in Europe. It’s about Wembley tomorrow, it’s the game of games” he said.Zidane said ‘NO’, Ten Hag is next in line for BayernBut his team is not without its problems. Tuchel is leaving at the end of the season, and the club still haven’t found his successor. The team lost the title after 11 consecutive years and could even finish third in the Bundesliga. They have difficulties, and that’s one of the reasons why so many coaches have passed on the opportunity to become Bayern’s coach. Heck, even their former manager is criticizing them!“We have a job to do and we have an idea for it. But for this we need the support of the club. This is fundamentally important, otherwise your work will not be good. And if this support fails, it is better to part ways – like what happened with Bayern Munich” said Real Madrid’s Carlo Ancelotti at the press conference. He still remembers how he was sacked after a loss in the Champions League from PSG, as he lost the support of the almighty Uli Hoeness.UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUESemifinals – second legTuesdayPSG – Dortmund 0-1 (0-0) /first leg 0-1//Hummels 50/Wednesday22:00: (1.95) Real Madrid (3.50) Bayern (3.90) /first leg 2-2/***odds are subject to change***
